


Up the Scales

by maybetimeless, winksdeep



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: M/M, Winkdeep, chinese orchestra!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-04 22:31:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14603112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybetimeless/pseuds/maybetimeless, https://archiveofourown.org/users/winksdeep/pseuds/winksdeep
Summary: in which jinyoung falls in love with music all over again thanks to a certain musician.For the prompt: WinkDeep in a chinese orchestra!au.





	Up the Scales

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flwwrbys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flwwrbys/gifts).



> proceed with caution i guess? oh and happy birthday to our precious winkdeep :')

_1592, Gyeongju , Korea._

His calloused fingers reached out to grab the sides of his robes, allowing the worn fabric to envelope his palms. He gasped for air while simultaneously breaking out in cold sweat, having run too much for his liking in his tattered woven shoes. In the background, shouting could be heard - people were running for their lives while bullets were fired at random.

The boy sank down to his knees, leaning against the old brick walls of an abandoned alleyway. His home had been raided earlier that day, and his grandparents, parents and siblings ran fleeing in all directions. Whether he would ever meet them again was a mystery, which made him feel even worse than he already did.

He found an unexpected peace in the little alleyway. It was quiet, had a foul stench and barely any space for him to stretch, but no one found him there for the next few hours, and he was beginning to think that this would make an acceptable makeshift home for the following days.

The flow of an enchanting melody came soft at first, hesitant with only a hint of confidence, but he was sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him. Music was scarce with war going on right before his eyes but at times like this, it was the peace he truly needed. Cascading notes of an unfamiliar piece enthralled him and he could not help but inch closer to the source.

Shuffling deeper into the alleyway, he saw a boy. He looked around his age, maybe older by a year or two, and was curled up by the corner while playing an instrument.

It's dark but he can just barely make out the hue of pink on the boy's rosy cheeks, the way his eyes sparkled like he held the entire galaxy in them and the way his fingers clenched around the instrument.

Dizi, a chinese transverse flute. A light-colored bamboo made up the one the boy was holding as he blew into it, losing himself in the music. He could recognise that instrument anywhere, his grandmother having played it for him almost every day throughout his childhood.

It was as if a mutual understanding was formed between the boys, both knowing the other posed no threat. They sat beside each other, curling themselves up even more than before as the music bound them through the strings of fate. The amount of time they stayed there was unknown, and, the rest was history.

In the hint of light, he swore he saw the letters "pjh" engraved on the side of the instrument.

 

—

 

_2018, Seoul, South Korea._

“Get away from the TV!” Jinyoung exclaimed irritatedly as he craned his neck to watch the football match currently airing on the television.

Woojin stationed himself in position, refusing to move his being that obstructed Jinyoung’s view of the entire object, “But it’s just this once! Did you know how much pain it took me to get these tickets? They’re known to be the best orchestra of South Korea, every performance sells out in seconds!”

“I don’t care, Woojin. Music isn’t my thing. Also, didn’t you get those tickets from Hyungseob?” Jinyoung replied curtly, trying to kick Woojin away. Woojin ignored Jinyoung’s attempt at discrediting all the hard work he put in to get the tickets, still refusing to move from his position and giving him a pointed look as he waited for his friend to finally cave in to him.

“Woojin, you know I absolutely hate music.” A hard edge settled into Jinyoung’s voice, “I won’t go.”

“We both know that it’s time to move on. Look, I’ll pay for your share of the rent for the whole of this month.” Woojin countered, arms crossed.

“Still no.” Jinyoung repeated.

“Three months.”

“Five, and it’s a deal. Plus, I can get you to shut up and move away from the TV!” Jinyoung retaliated as he panicked internally on how to get out of the mess he just created for himself.

“Deal! Be ready by seven!” Woojin bounded away happily just as Jinyoung threw a pillow at him, causing it to hit a cup on the table and shatter it.

“Clean that up by yourself!” Woojin laughed as he dashed into his room. Sometimes, Jinyoung wondered why he was friends with such an asshole.

 

—

 

The clock struck seven just as Woojin emerged from his room, donning multiple layers of clothes in monotone colours.

“Let’s go!” Woojin sing-songed as he grabbed Jinyoung’s hands and dragged him out of their shared apartment. Twirling his keys in his other hand, he swiftly unlocked the car and both of them clambered inside, engulfed in the warmth of the heater.

“I’m amazed you didn’t try to run away.” Woojin started cheerfully as he turned into the main street.

“I would. If a certain someone didn’t glare at me from the door every time they heard me move.”

Woojin sheepishly chuckled to himself as he turned his attention back to the road. Jinyoung tuned out the chatter of the radio in favour of staring blankly out of the window instead. Panic settled in as their destination drew closer and closer, his heart no longer beating at a steady pace.

Before he knew it, Woojin was already pulling the car into the parking lot. His reluctance to get off was in vain as Woojin managed to yank him out in one pull.

Harsh winter winds howled as it swept by them and at that moment, parking his car in an open-air car park nearby seemed to be one of the worst choices he could ever have allowed his friend to make. Snow piled up in drifts along the pavement, blinding their eyes with ice-white dust as the pair sprinted towards the frosted glass doors of the building.

The lobby was filled with the chattering of dozens of music lovers, or maybe just fans of the renowned orchestra. Jinyoung almost lost Woojin twice as the latter maneuvered his way through the crowd, which would have made Jinyoung happy if Woojin hadn't kept grabbing him before he could run away. Apparently, today’s performance was already one of the orchestra’s least crowded ones yet. It was the first of two new passionate prodigies, making it an invite-only event with only 100 tickets available.

Hyungseob was one of the two. A familiar face to Jinyoung as they the trio used to go to the same high school. Said boy still frequents Woojin’s and his shared apartment, however the main reason of his visits is Woojin and Jinyoung would rather leave the two to their own devices.

They entered the performance hall just in time. With the lights on and most seats filled, they scrambled to locate theirs, belatedly realising that Hyungseob had gotten them seats in the first row with a clear view of the stage.

Ensconced in the velvet seat, Jinyoung attempted to calm his heart down. Facing music once again was like facing his fear. That was easier said than done.

“Hey,” Woojin started, “I know the friend of mine that loved music with every inch of his being is somewhere in there. Where has your childish love gone? If anything, this is your chance to bring him back.”

Jinyoung’s retort died in his throat just as the lights dimmed. The warm yellow spotlight shone on the wooden stage as the orchestra members entered in an orderly fashion, one after another.

Their uniforms were made of silk, black in colour with woven yellow threads for the design. Black symbolized their power, while yellow could be seen as golden, auspiciousness and mildness amidst the ferocity.

The first few resounding notes from the pipa filled the hall as the unmistakable melody of “Spring Flowers on a Moonlit River” played. Jinyoung knew this. The song was adapted into a chinese orchestral piece from his grandmother’s favourite poem, in which the poet, Zhang Ruoxu, wrote to seek the meaning of life. It was the piece he played in his first ever performance.

He sucked in a breath, gripping the armrests hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. The usual heart-piercing pain flooded him as the image of himself playing in his middle school’s orchestra flashed before him.

Jinyoung loved music more than anything in the world. The image in his mind burned at the corners, eroding the picture. His firm grip, his nimble fingers and his determined gaze burning into ashes. Music turned into hatred the moment he broke his wrist, having to pull out from his orchestra and from then on, he never touched his instrument again. He shook his head, trying to clear it, returning his attention to the stage.

The song stretched on and on, longer than Jinyoung could bear. Minutes turned into hours in his mind as he desperately continued to pray. Why was he still listening to chinese orchestra pieces which irked him to no end?

When the song finally ended, the orchestra’s president stepped out to the front and began to introduce their two new members. Two boys stepped out from behind the curtains on cue, exuding an aura of confidence as they made their way to the center. Jinyoung could easily recognise Hyungseob from a mile away with features that unmistakably resembled a bunny. The other boy also reminded him of a rabbit, a different species if it made any difference. With his styled hazel brown hair, eyes that twinkled brightly and red rosy cheeks, he was no doubt handsome.

Jinyoung found his eyes following his every move, captured by him. “This year, we extend a warm welcome to two of our latest additions. Park Jihoon, who plays the dizi and Ahn Hyungseob, who plays the yanqin,” she paused as the audience applauded, “Let’s put our hands together to welcome these two fine young men who will be greeting the public for the very first time with a self-composed duet!”

The duo bowed before taking their places, hands at ease on their respective instruments as the lights dimmed. Striking each string with his usual grace, it was impossible for Jinyoung to deny that Hyungseob was a good player. The chords bounced across the auditorium in a playful manner that resembled the boy’s very own personality, a style that was truly his.

However, it was when the first note rang out from the dizi that jolted Jinyoung out of his reverie. Music from the dizi weaved into a story that touched the heart and Jinyoung listened with full attention along with a newfound hope.

And in that instant, Jinyoung saw a light at the end of the tunnel and maybe, just maybe, he could enjoy music once again since his accident.

Jihoon’s eyes remained closed throughout but he emitted an aura of determination. His passion towards his craft could be seen by Jinyoung, the former reminding him of himself as a musician years ago.

Jihoon ended up becoming Jinyoung’s one and only focus throughout the rest of the night, his ears constantly perking up to listen to his solo parts on the dizi.

“Found something, or perhaps maybe someone, you like?” Woojin leaned over with a smirk as the piece hit its climax. Jinyoung slapped his hand over Woojin’s mouth, placing his own finger on his lips. His gaze never left Jihoon.

Jinyoung sighed in contentment when the performance ended, staring sadly as the performers stepped off the stage briefly. Woojin had stayed quiet despite the teasing spark in his eyes as he briefly turned towards the stage to give Hyungseob a small wave as he left, causing said boy’s eyes to light up in excitement as he grinned in return.

Woojin returned his attention to Jinyoung and smirked widely. Jinyoung’s futile attempt to cover his flushing face was in vain as Woojin was already chuckling loudly.

“It’s nothing!” Jinyoung yelled, knowing that Woojin’s face was plastered with the a grossly large grin, having realised he had new blackmail material.

“Uhuh. Keep telling yourself that. Speaking of which, I’m going backstage to meet Hyungseob. How about joining me to find maybe…” Through the gaps between the fingers of his hands still on his face, Jinyoung glared upon seeing Woojin’s mischievous grin with his face set in a thoughtful expression, gasping exaggeratedly, “Jihoon?”

“No!” He says, too quickly, and hastily corrects himself.

“I mean, I guess I’ll head home myself,” Turning his flaming face away from Woojin’s cheeky smile, Jinyoung let his hands drop to his sides.

“Not going to meet lover boy? My newfound ship is lying dead in a ditch.” Woojin clutched at his heart, adding to the dramatic effect.

“Get lost already! I’ll see you home later,” Jinyoung burst out, turning his back to Woojin.

“Suit yourself.” Woojin replied, shaking his head in exasperation, waving goodbye to the already storming off Jinyoung, entering the doors that led to the waiting rooms.

 

—

 

Maybe it was the way Park Jihoon looked like an ethereal being, or maybe it was the way Park Jihoon expressed himself through music, or even maybe it was just out of sheer boredom but Jinyoung found himself following Woojin to all the orchestra’s performances for the next five months.

A few days after the last performance, Jinyoung started to notice Woojin’s strange behaviour. He had been staying up late texting on his phone constantly as well as locking himself in his room whispering into his phone in a low voice. The mischievous glint in Woojin’s eyes whenever he glances at Jinyoung was as good a sign as any that he had been planning omething big. Used to his weird antics, Jinyoung couldn’t be bothered to care very much about what his friend was plotting this time.

However, things started to get weird when Woojin asked him out for lunch. It would have been a normal occurrence if Woojin hadn’t reserved a table for two at the most prestigious restaurant in town. He came from a rich family but all Jinyoung’s life, he had known Woojin as one of the most stingy friends he’s ever had. Spending money on dining? That sounded very unlike Park Woojin. Moreover, it was a music restaurant nonetheless.

“You’ll turn up right? It’s my treat.” Woojin leaned against the doorframe with his arms folded as he monitored Jinyoung’s skeptical expression.

Jinyoung, wary of Woojin, nodded his head slowly in agreement. He couldn’t just pass up on free food, after all. Especially when Woojin was treating him despite still having to pay his share of rental fees. All he had to do was be more alert and do his best to avoid getting caught up in any of his friend’s mischief.

 

—

 

The idea of leaving the restaurant at this point of time was very inviting. It was a quarter past six and Jinyoung was getting weird and pitying looks from the people around him.

Most of the people here were in their mid-thirties to forties, dressed to the nines and swirling their alcoholic drinks in a glass as the chatted with their respective groups. Jinyoung couldn’t understand why Woojin would pick such a place just for a simple lunch, where the two of them would stick out like sore thumbs.

Having been focused on sending Woojin countless messages asking where he was currently, he jumped up as someone accidentally knocked onto the table while sliding into the seat opposite him, muttering apologies for being late. Jinyoung lifted his head up, ready to express his annoyance at his friend for being so late when he caught sight of the boy in front of him. It definitely wasn’t Woojin. Instead, Park Jihoon in all his glory was sitting in front of him. Said boy mirrored his own expression, eyes growing wide in panic and confusion.

“Oh, sorry! I um, was supposed to meet my friend here? And I’m quite sure at the right table?” Jihoon phrased it as a question instead of a sentence as he pulled out his phone, fingers flying frantically across the keyboard.

“This…” Jinyoung didn’t know whether to bless the heavens or cry. His inner turmoil escalated as he turned back to his phone to contact Woojin on this unexpected twist of events. Why did he choose to be late at a time like this? Swallowing down his anxiety, Jinyoung opened his mouth to speak again, “Uh… I’m sorry. I’m supposed to meet a friend at this very table too. Is there possibly a misunderstanding?” Thank god was able to say it without stuttering.

Jihoon appeared distressed as he waited for Hyungseob to pick up the call, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked at Jinyoung, “Have we met? You seem really familiar.”

Eh? Had he met Jihoon besides seeing him at his performances?

Jihoon suddenly gave a gasp. Instantly his face reddened, eyes widening as he asked, “Aren’t you the one who comes to all our orchestra’s performances with Hyungseob’s boyfriend? Bae Jinyoung? The one in the front seats?”

He noticed him? Jinyoung could feel his face heating up as replied, “Yeah, I came to see you play.”

Jinyoung only realised what he had said when he saw Jihoon’s face turn even redder if that was even possible. He internally cringed in realisation that he had just proclaimed Jihoon as the main reason of why he went to watch the performances.

“No! Uh, I mean...” Jinyoung failed terribly as he tried to cover up his blunder, shrinking back into his seat, refusing to look back up at the boy in front of him.

A vibration from his phone made him turn his attention to the device in his hand and what Jinyoung saw nearly made him howl in vengeance.

_“Enjoying your date yet? He's there, isn't he?”_

So it really was a trap! He was about to start apologising just as Jihoon’s phone rang, piquing his interest as he looked up at the boy who started speaking to whoever it was on the other end.

“Hyungseob? Where are you?”

“What?”

“Hey, hey, no. You can’t just do that!”

Jihoon’s face painted his growing displeasure as the other party hung up on him, belatedly realising that Jinyoung was still sitting in front of him, staring at him in curiosity even. He scratched the back of his neck and glanced at the floor, opening his mouth to apologise as Jinyoung beat him to it.

“I’m sorry! Apparently Woojin set this entire thing up and I had no idea until a few minutes ago. He must’ve wasted your time...”

“Huh? Hyungseob called to say that he set this up though?” “Those two again?” Jinyoung sighed, enough of their antics.

“H-How about we just have our lunch? Hyungseob said that Woojin’s paying and since they wasted our time, there’s no harm in splurging a little on his card right?” Jinyoung grinned like a child and nodded eagerly in response. He couldn’t deny that he was secretly thankful for his friends as he flipped open the menu, picking the dishes that he enjoyed but would never spend on.

Lunch with Jihoon was surprisingly smooth-sailing. The elder was surprisingly easy to converse with and on the same page as him, keeping up with his playful antics effortlessly.

“Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?” Jihoon asked as the duo walked out of the restaurant after their hearty meal.

Jinyoung shook his head in response as Jihoon exclaimed excitedly, “Then let’s go on a date!” Before Jinyoung could respond, Jihoon grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the arcade on the top floor of the mall, never once stopping to look back which he was thankful for as he felt his face heat up for the second time in a day. He wasn’t going to deny that though.

 

—

 

As the curtains drew signaling the end of another performance, Jinyoung got up from his seat, pulling a startled Woojin with him as they weaves their way through the crowd, excitedly skipping towards the backstage doors.

“What is this change of heart I’m seeing? You’re finally going backstage with me? Have you and Jihoon started dating?” Woojin fired questions as pulled away from his friend’s grip, greeting the security guard, an acquaintance of his considering the number of times he’s been there.

“Shut up and walk.” Jinyoung bounded in joyfully despite his attitude, following Woojin as he led the way to where the musicians were.

“Woojin! And Jinyoung?” Hyungseob’s eyes widened comically, shocked that his stubbornly reluctant friend finally decided to join Woojin backstage.

“Hold on, Woojin come with me for a moment.” Hyungseob grabbed the boy before anyone could react, practically dragging him out of the room.

As the pair exited, Jihoon entered the waiting room, eyes immediately trained on Jinyoung. A blush crept up his cheeks and he suddenly found a nearby vase weirdly interesting.

“Cute.” Jinyoung mumbled under his breath but clamped his mouth shut as Jihoon turned to look up at him, eyes wide.

Why was he always embarrassing himself in front of Jihoon?

“Do you play music too?” Jihoon attempted to start a conversation, breaking the awkward silence.

Shaking his head, Jinyoung found himself inclined to open up, even though he’d only spent a day with the boy in front of him.

“I hate music actually.” Seeing Jihoon’s shocked and somewhat insulted expression, he quickly continued to explain before he could retaliate.

“I used to play the dizi too—I even appeared on newspapers as the next child prodigy and all that.” He sucked in a breath before he continued, “But then I got into an accident. And I guess my greed and desire to perform overcame any sort of logical thought I had, insisting I played at every chance I got, refusing to rest in spite of my wrist hurting even more day by day. I finally came to my senses when I dropped my dizi while playing during a big performance. My hand is healed but I’ve never played again ever since. Consider it a trauma, maybe.”

“But I’ve seen you here for all our performances. How do you listen to those pieces with so much hatred in you?” Jihoon asked cautiously, stepping up towards Jinyoung, boldly grabbing his elbows in an attempt to soothe the younger who’s eyes had begun to turn red.

“I...I guess it’s because I saw myself in you. Your passion for the arts glows onstage, you’re mesmerising when you play, and uh, I might-uh, nevermind.”

“Oh, uh wow, I didn’t know I could inspire someone like that,” Jihoon looked embarrassed as he continued, “If you’d like, I could...maybe help you get over your hatred for music and your trauma onstage? If you want to.”

The boy looked up with a glimmer of hope and Jinyoung, numb with the the shock of having shared something so personal and was running on autopilot, simply nodded without even realizing he had done so, unable to reject the boy. He didn’t actually think that he’d be able to get over it. However, the way Jihoon’s eyes lit up as he agreed made it somehow, strangely, worthwhile.

 

—

 

Jinyoung didn’t know what Jihoon could do help him get over his fear but he found out just a week later as Jihoon personally came over to his apartment to pick him up. He brought Jinyoung to an empty theatre, claiming the stage as theirs for the next two hours. He heard that Jihoon had enlisted Woojin’s help in booking the theatre, but even still, he was alarmed by how far they were planning to go to help him.

“I thought a lot about how to help you. And I decided that since you enjoy listening to me play, I could play for you while you sit with me on stage. And when you feel like you’re finally ready, you can join me.” Jihoon explained as he took his dizi out of its case, an embedment at the end of the instrument, “pjh”, catching Jinyoung’s eye.

“P. J. H?” Jinyoung curiously asked.

“It was a present from my parents for my sixth birthday and i’ve been playing it ever since. Consider it my good luck charm.” Jihoon said as he spoke fondly of his dizi.

This cycle continued weekly for almost half a year, until one fine day in the sweltering heat of of the summer in June.

“Jihoon, I think I’m ready.” Said boy abruptly stopped playing random melodies on his dizi and looked up in surprise. Eyeing Jinyoung warily as he gingerly made his way to the front of the stage, he watched him pull a black casing out of his backpack, before making his way back to the middle and sitting down on the chair.

“I’m probably going to be a bit rusty though.” Jinyoung scrunched his nose as he unclasped his case, pulling out his dizi that he hasn’t touched in a long time.

He sighed deeply, Jihoon encouraging him by his side as he hesitantly placed his lips on the mouthpiece, playing a simple melody as his fingers moved stiltedly out of a lack of practice, but still forming a coherent phrase with muscle memory. Jihoon played along in anticipation, if anything, proud of how far his friend had come.

His friend…

Jihoon had been a fan of Jinyoung even before he met him. Being up on stage and seeing him as an audience enjoying his performance was a dream come true and he had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. When Jinyoung suddenly stopped performing, he had decided to work extra hard to join the prestigious chinese orchestra he was currently in, in hopes of finding his childhood idol.

Jinyoung was undoubtedly attractive and spending time with him these few months made him affirm that he wasn’t just infatuated by Jinyoung. He had a crush on him.

As their duet came to an end, Jihoon couldn’t help but envelope Jinyoung in a hug. “You did it! I’m so proud of you!”

“I actually have a confession to make.” Jinyoung started, carefully placing his dizi back in its case. “I’ve applied to join your orchestra.”

Jihoon erupted in a loud, high-pitched squeal, his face morphed into one of genuine surprise and joy.

“You’re what? So that means I get to play in the orchestra with not only my favourite instrument, but also alongside my favourite person in the whole wide world?”

Jinyoung modded in confirmation and Jihoon’s subsequent smile was infectious. Jinyoung found himself returning it, instinctively stepping over and pecking Jihoon’s plump lips without prior notice.

Stepping back immediately, he saw Jihoon’s face change into an unreadable expression and he panicked. Jihoon’s cheeks burned a bright shade of red as he gaped in surprise and refused to make eye contact, lowering his gaze to the floor.

He had crossed the line, and there was no way to salvage this.

He was about to apologise when Jihoon spoke up first, looking at him in the eye, “I’ve been a fan of yours since you started performing. It might be embarrassing since you’re younger than me but that’s what made me convince my parents to take me to learn the dizi.”

Jihoon observed Jinyoung’s expression of shock as he continued, “Getting close to you was a dream come true of mine and after all our time together, I’ve come to realise that I like you, and definitely not as a friend. So, uh, will you go out with me?”

“Of course! I like you too.” Jinyoung’s face lit up from the crestfallen expression before. Throwing himself onto Jihoon, hugging him tightly before narrowing the gap between them and connecting their lips once again.

Jihoon kisses him back with the same fervor and their lips melted against each other’s as they moved in sync. Sparks ignited within him reality barely struck him. He was dating Park Jihoon.

As they pulled back, he found Jihoon staring at him, gaze full of adoration, and at that moment, he wouldn’t trade this for anything else in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> i feel bad for the horrible attempt at a parallel universe and the entire fic seems kind of lacking to me? but i hope you and every other winkdeep shippers out there enjoyed reading my little contribution to water this tag. kudos and comments (be it praise, constructive criticism or just somewhere for you to scream ahahah) are greatly appreciated!


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